Identical Strangers
by ChArMeD-101
Summary: There's confusion going on everywhere Piper goes, but what is causing it???


Disclaimer- Charmed belongs to TheWB network and Spelling television. I don't own any of the characters, so please don't sue.

Title- Identical Strangers

Rated- PG

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That day Phoebe was hanging out with Paige at her job, because Phoebe had nothing better to do. Bothering Paige seemed to be her number one priority at the moment. Paige didn't seem to be paying attention to what Phoebe was saying; she could care less unless it's a major crisis or something. 

Phoebe was rambling about something that was totally irrelevant when something caught her eye. The person looked a lot like Piper, but Phoebe wasn't sure if it was because she didn't have her glasses on. But Phoebe knew her sister, and without a doubt that had to be Piper. Something troubled her though. That's why she asked herself, when did Piper cut her hair? Piper mentioned it once or twice but never actually went though with it.

Tapping Paige's arm and telling her to look in Piper's direction, but when Paige did she didn't see Piper anywhere in sight. "That's odd. She was just right there," Phoebe said. Paige raised an eyebrow and suggested, "Phoebe, your eyes are playing tricks on you again. Why don't you do me a favor? Go home and take a nap." Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but Paige was right. She hasn't been getting enough sleep lately. Why? She doesn't know.

Phoebe bounced up the steps of the manor and opened the door to smell that fresh baked brownies Piper was making. Unless Leo was home baking brownies for some reason. It was Piper though; she's always making little treats. That's why Phoebe thinks she would be a good mommy. 

"Hi," Piper greeted merrily. Phoebe asked, "were you by any chance at the social services building today?" Piper questioned, "You mean where Paige works? No, why?" Phoebe gave a baffled look and replied, "I could have sworn you were there." Piper raised an eyebrow and said, "I've been home all day long. And if I was at the social services building, I would have came by to say hi." Phoebe thought about it and said, "Your right. So, Paige was right after all. I need sleep." Piper smiled and cocked her head to one side, "Yeah, I think that would be good for you." Phoebe nodded and asked, "have you seen Cole?" Piper answered, "Yeah, he was sleepy so I'm guessing he's in bed. And I mean it, take a nap. Don't get ideas when you're walking up the stairs." Phoebe smiled and said, "Sounds tempting." Piper pointed a finger and narrowed her eyes. Phoebe said, "Okay, okay. I promise I won't get any ideas."

Meanwhile at P3, an employee sees Piper walk into the club and notices her new do. "Wow! When did you cut your hair?," she asked. Piper gives her a funny look.

"I had it for a long time now."

The employee looks at Piper confused and asked, "What can I do for you?" 

"Do you know where my sisters live?"

"Shouldn't you know? You live with them," the employee answered totally feeling out of place. 

"I do? That's right, I do," she laughed nervously as the employee turns and walks away.

Piper came by the social services building to pick Paige up because Cole had asked to borrow Paige's car.

Suddenly a woman stopped her dead in her tracks and said, "Viper, we got information that you requested for this morning. Would you like it now?" Piper looked at the woman confused and asked, "Who's Viper?"

Paige interrupted, "Piper? Are you ready to go?" Piper nodded. The woman asked, "this is your sister, Paige?" Paige replied, "Yeah, she is." The woman apologized to Piper and insists that she has the wrong person. But in truth the woman could have sworn Paige's sister was in that morning requesting for information about her adoption.

It was almost 7 in the evening, Phoebe was at the bookstore looking for a book to read. Obviously Cole had been too busy for her lately. So, Phoebe turned her attention onto books instead.

While strolling through the romance section, Phoebe caught a glimpse of Piper standing two rows in front of her. What was Piper doing here? Phoebe thought she was picking Paige up, not strolling for books. 

Something was different about Piper's appearance though. That short hair! The same as the one in the morning at the social services building. Now Phoebe knew her eyes weren't fooling her. This was someone like Piper, but not Piper. Phoebe had to know who it was, so she mastered up the courage to go up to her.

"Excuse me?," Phoebe asked tapping who seemed to be Piper. "Yes?," the voice asked sounding exactly as if Piper would sound. Phoebe starred shocked. "Can I help you?," the lady asked politely. Phoebe asked, "Piper?" 

"Do you know her?," the lady asked with hopes in her eyes. Phoebe nodded and explained, "She's my sister." 

"Then you must be my sister too," the lady said smiling. Phoebe nodded like she was in a trance. "I'm sorry. How terribly rude of me. I'm Viper," the lady said extending a hand. Phoebe would have given her a hug but it would be too weird. Phoebe shook her hand and said, "I think it's time we get reunited." Phoebe's smiled eased away the awkwardness between them.

Piper and Paige made it home okay. As soon as Paige made it through the door, she threw herself onto the living room couch and closed her eyes. Piper rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. "Where's Leo?," Piper asked her voice almost a whisper. 

"You rang?," Leo asked as the last of his orbs faded away. Piper smiled and said, "Hey you." Leo gave his wife a hug. After not seeing her the whole day, it felt good to be in her arms. Leo sensed something in the air that wasn't quite right. Piper notices and asked, "Leo? What is it?" He didn't answer her, because he didn't know what it was. It was just something in the air. The love of sisters being reunited, but that was weird. Why would he sense something like that? Unless....

"Piper?," Phoebe called as the manor door closed behind her. Piper appeared from the living room and stared at herself standing a few feet away. She looked as if she was about to flip.

"Please tell me your using mirrors, and that I'm not seeing myself across the room," Piper stated clearly freaked. Paige heard the tone of Piper's voice and walked out into the foyer. "Oh, my god! Talk about double, double toil in trouble," Paige joked staring at two Pipers'. Piper snapped, "That's not funny, Paige." Paige whispered, "Sorry."

Phoebe ushered Viper to the crowd. Viper greeted shyly, "Hi?" Piper tugged on Leo's shirt, "Help me. She's talking to me." Leo couldn't help but laugh a little and said, "I'll go see what the elders know about this." He quickly exits the living room and orbed out unseen. 

"Who are you?," Piper asked. 

"I'm Viper, your sister," Viper replied. 

"That can't be possible," Piper said. 

"You want to bet on it? There are a few things I learned carrying the Halliwell name," Viper stated.

Piper grew silent and stared at Phoebe and Paige for some help. 

"I know that your probably freaked out right now, but I can prove to you that we are related," Viper said pulling out a stack of papers and thrust it out at Piper.

Piper looked through it as Viper explained a few things. It was Viper's adoption papers, which releases information about her birth parents, where she was born, and siblings. All this matched information with Piper's. It even said on the papers in black and white that Viper had a twin, but separated at birth. The reason was because of no income, which Piper did not believe at all. Her mom has the answer to this and she was sure to find out.

Leo came back in the room and pulled Piper aside. "Hey, I talked to the elders and they said you would have to summon mom and talk to her because they can't release information like that." Piper whispered, "Yeah, I know. It's just that I think Viper would be freaked out if I have ghost in the middle of the room!" Leo said, "I don't think that would be a problem, Piper. Sure, Viper wasn't in your family but she knows who she is." Piper ask, "You mean she knows she's a witch?" Leo answered, "Not quite. She knows you guys are, but she definitely isn't a witch." Piper gave him a baffled look.

Viper asked nervously, "Perhaps I can explain?" Piper looked at her twin and urged her to go on. Viper explained, "I'm not a witch, and I sure don't have any special powers, but ever since I was little mom came to me in my dreams. At first I thought they were just dreams and nothing important. Soon I knew they weren't dreams because mom appeared to me frequently and talked to me. I was sort of freaked, but mom explained everything." Piper asked, "and you easily excepted the fact that it was all very true?" Viper replied, "well, yes, that's why I've been looking for you." Piper nodded slightly but she definitely wasn't going to stop there with the questioning.

She stomped upstairs impatiently. Phoebe yelled, "Piper, where are you going?!" Piper answered, "To summon mom, because if I find out anymore secrets of hers. I'm going to explode!" Paige said, "She's already here." Piper swirled around and saw her mother standing in the hall a few feet away from Paige. 

Phoebe and Paige rushed to embrace their mother, while Viper had a baffled look on her face and Piper was just furious. She's overreacting quite a bit.

"Well, aren't you girls going to give your mother a hug?," Patty asked pretending to be slightly hurt. Piper said hugging her mother, "What is up with all the secrets?" Patty looks at Viper and motioned her to come over, but Viper hesitated. "You're my mother?" Patty asked, "Well, of course I am! Who else would I be?" Viper smiled and embraced her mother tightly. 

When they were done reuniting, Patty said, "I knew you'd come in search of your sisters one day, Viper." Piper said, "Our names rhyme. Why?" Patty replied, "I don't know. Ask your father, he had a lot to do with it. Oh, he would be so happy to see you two together again." 

"Why did you separate us?," Viper asked sitting down on the couch with everyone else. Patty said, "trust me I didn't want to. I had to or else..." Piper asked, "Or else?" Patty said, "It's complicated girls." Piper protested, "I think were old enough to comprehend." Phoebe added, "were not six years old mom. I think we can handle it." Patty said, "Oh, all right!" Her daughters stared at her with blank eyes.

"I had to separate you two or else the powers of the charmed ones would never had existed. And who knows if Phoebe or Paige would have ever popped out," Patty explained. Phoebe laughed at her mother's choice of words and corrected, "Mom, I don't think children pop out of nowhere." Patty said, "that's beside the point, sweetie." 

"How come Viper doesn't have any powers?," Piper asked. Patty replied, "That's the thing. You two share the strongest blood out of all your sisters. If you two were to have powers of your own, there's no telling what the two of you can do when they are combined. Meaning, you can override anything that you wish." Viper said, "Cool! I mean, is that bad?" Patty answered, "well, yeah. Why you think I had to separate you two in the beginning if it wasn't bad? That is why you two cannot have powers or it would throw the power of three of course." Phoebe said, "I don't believe so. I mean, wouldn't it make us stronger?" Patty replied, "Too strong. Blow a potion and you can wipe human life off the face of this earth. A backfire spell can kill innocent people due to your powers combined. Clearly you girls haven't read the legend of Cassidy and Cassandra." Piper raised and eyebrow. Patty said, "Never mind." 

There was a moment of silence until Piper asked, "So, are you saying that Viper can never have powers?" Patty thought about it and mumbled, "Unless..." Phoebe asked, "Unless what, mom?" Patty asked, "Leo, is it possible to split their powers in half?" Leo said, "With the right spell, then I believe it can be done. I've seen it done before, several times before they had it right, but it's not totally impossible. Unless it's not meant to be." Half the time Piper has no idea what Leo rambles on about. Patty said, "Then we shall prepare the spell. That is if it's okay by you girls. It's totally up to you." 

Viper protested, "It's not that I wouldn't be grateful to get powers and help you guys fight evil, it's just that I came here for one thing and one thing only. To be with you guys." Piper said, "But being with us without powers is definitely dangerous. And I would hate to see something happen to you." Viper said, "Thanks, but if I take your powers then it would be like taking a part of you." Piper rolled her eyes and said, "You don't know how happy I would be to give half of it up to you. Sometimes they go crazy and Phoebe can tell you how crazy." Viper said shrugging, "I guess you could use a little help with these evil forces out trying to kill you and all." 

Patty said, "okay, I think I got just the spell." Piper said, "Let's get started." They walked upstairs into the attic and Patty explained, "Okay. After this spell your powers will split randomly. I have no say over who gets which." They looked at each other and then back to their mom.

"Take each other's hands and repeat after me," Patty ordered.

"Powers of the witch rise,

Cross unseen across the skies,

Split the powers that was invoked here,

Give us the power our witches two."

Bright lights filled the room with such glow that Phoebe and Paige eyes slammed shut for a second or two. Then the lights just vanished into thin air. Piper announced, "I feel light all of a sudden." Patty explained, "Your powers could weigh you down because of the responsibilities of having them. When you gave half to Viper, you suddenly feel like your floating." Viper exclaimed, "I'm literally glowing!" Phoebe said, "Hey, she just rhymed." Viper said, "Seriously." They looked at her and saw the golden outline of her figure. Patty said, "Don't worry about that dear. It'll settle itself out in a minute or two. Well, time to say good-bye, girls." 

"Bye, mom!" they said in unison. One last quick hug before Patty disappeared. Piper said, "I didn't get a chance to thank her." Then in the book of shadows words magically appeared, "Your always welcome. Take care, love mom." 

Phoebe asked, "So... who has which power?" Piper said, "It doesn't matter." Paige asked, "So, your not going to tell us at all?" Piper answered, "Nope! I'll tell you what though. We need a girl's night out. What do you gals say?" Phoebe asked, "what are we going to do with the guys?" Paige said, "their guys, they're easily amused." Viper questioned, "There are guys, and they live here?" Piper answered, "You could say that." Viper asked, "Are they cute?" Paige smirked, "that is if you like guys between the lines of abnormal and supernatural." Piper elbowed her sister and said, "hush." 

Phoebe said, "Alright, you guys! Let's get ready for a girl's night out!" Viper smiled and asked, "Whatever shall I wear?" Piper grinned and answered pulling her newfound sister along her side, "I got a closet full of clothes! You don't have a thing to worry about!" Viper smiled knowing that this was a beginning of a new start and perhaps a new life with excitement. 

The End

A/N- So, what do you guys think? Should I write a sequel to this? If I should, then do you have any suggestions? I'm all ears. Don't forget to review!


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